Flush-valve



G. w. FOSTER.

FLUSH VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. I91]- -1',329,169. Patented Ja11.27,l920.

WITNESSES M BY ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE w. FOSTER, or NEW loan, n. Y., ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF 'ro GEORGE MAYER, or NEW roan, n. Y.

FLUSH-VALVE.

Application filed May 23, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kn wn that I, GEORGE W. Fos'rER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flush- Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flush valves, and aims primarily to simplify the construction and operation of such valves, as well as to increase their eiiiciency.

A further object or" the invention is to provide a flush valve which is featured by the lack or" intricate mechanism and complicated parts, and which may be installed and ma ntained without danger of leakage and without the use of washers, gaskets and packing such as is now generally employed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved valve for siphoning the liquid from the tank, and is designed with a view to eliminating the possibility of the discontinuance of the siphoning action until after the tank has been entirely emptied.

Still further objects reside in providing a flush valve of the character set forth which may be manufactured at small cost, which is capable of being quickly and easily applied to a tank, which requires no attention after once being installed, which is proof against leakage, which will be easy and positive in operation and which will prove thoroughly efficient in the attainment of the ends for which it is designed.

With these objectsin view together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement 0] parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View taken through a valve constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away to show the underlying structure,

Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged sectional view illustrating the means by which the valve nipple may be secured to the drain pipe, and also illustrating the for connecting the nipple to the tank outlet,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 170,500.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the valve cage or frame removed from the flush valve,

Fig. 4 18 a top plan view of the cage illustrated in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail View on enlarged scale of the valve proper.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 indicates a portion of the bottom of a conventional form of flush tank, and 6 is the drain pipe for the tank.

The drain pipe 6 communicates with the lower end of a threaded sleeve 7 extending through the bottom of the tank, the said sleeve being provided adjacent its upper end with an outwardly extending annular flange 8, adapted to engage with the adjacent portions oi the tank bottom to form a water tight joint when the jam nut or locking washer 9 threaded upon the lower end of the sleeve is screwed firmly against the underside of the tank bottom. If desired, a packing washer 10 may be interposed between the flange 8 and the bottom of the tank, and it will also be understood that suitable packing material may be used with the locking washer 9 to prevent leakage.

The drain or outlet pipe 6 may be connected directly with the sleeve 7 in any preferred or approved manner, but in the present instance, I have shown this connection efi'ected through the instrumentality of a nipple 11 and coupling collar 12. The collar 12 is threaded upon the lower end of the sleeve 7, and is provided With an inwardly projecting annular shoulder 13, upon which rests the outwardly projecting flange 14 at one end of the nipple. It is evident, therefore, that when the coupling 12 is tightly screwed upon the lower end of the sleeve Y the annular flange 13 will be jammed. tightly against the lower end of the said sleeve, and a water tight joint is effected. The lower end of the nipple 11 may be secured to the drain pipe 6 in any preferred manner, a wipe joint 15 being shown for the purpose.

The upper end of the sleeve 7 projects slightly above the bottom of the tank, and provides a seat for the valve to be hereafter described. To assist in providing a water tight joint between the valve and the seat, the upper edges of the sleeve 7 are cutaway or beveled as shown, the inclined surface being ground to provide a smooth seat.

The valve is indicated at 20, and comprises a cylindrical member having seat engaging shoulders 21 at both ends. This valve is hollow as shown, and is secured to the lower end of a tube or pipe 22, the latter having its upper open end disposed above the liquid level in the tank. This tube or pipe is held properly alined with the sleeve 7 by a cage or frame 2%, the latter having an annular internally threaded ring 25 at its lower end for engagement with the threads of the upwardly protruding portion of the sleeve/7. The cage also includes at its upper end a pair of spaced annular rings 26, through which the tubular member 22 slides. The upper end of the tube 22 is equipped with a bracket 27, which carries an upwardly extending externally threaded stud or stem 28, over which the upper closed end of ,a siphon shell or dome 29 is engaged.

The dome or shell 29 has its closed end spaced above the upper open end of the tube 22, and the side walls of the said shell are spaced beyond the corresponding walls of the tube. The lower open end of the shell terminatesabove the bottom of the tank, and the shell adjacent the said lower end may be provided in its side walls with a plurality of apertures indicated at 30. A retaining nut 31 is threaded upon the stem 28 and firmly binds the shell 29 upon the bracket 27. The upper end of the stem 28 may be apertured, to enable the valve actuating or opening mechanism to be secured thereto.

In operation, the valve and its parts assume normally the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. WVhen it is desired to open the valve, upward pull is delivered to the stem 28, and the tube 22, shell 29, and valve 20 are raised. The water within the tank will flow through the opened valve, and into the outlet pipe 6. Should the valve raising or opening mechanism be released, the

weight of the valve, tube 22 and shell 29 will force the valve into seated position, but the rush of water downwardly in the drain pipe .6 will create a partial vacuum in the upper end of the. said pipe and in the tube 22. As the open end of the shell 29 and the apertures 30 therein are below the water level in the tank, the water will be drawn upwardly within the shell and into the upper open end of the tube 22, and this siphoning action will continue until the liquid level in the tank is lowered below the openings 30. It is evident, therefore, that after the valve has once been lifted, to let a quantity of water pass into the drain pipe, the siphoning action will take place, and such action will continue until the water within the tank is exhausted. The weight of the valve, tube and shell may be found sufiicient to firmly hold the valve upon the seat, but as a means for insuring a tight seating of the valve, an expansion spring 35 is provided. This spring bears at one end against the upper edges of the valve 20, and engages at its opposite end with the lowermost of the guide rings 26 of the cage 24:.

It will be observed that when the seat at one end of the valve 20 becomes worn, said valve may be readily disengaged from the tube 22 and reversed, and reapplied, thereby presenting the opposite ends of the valve for action.

It is obvious from the foregoing that l have provided an extremely simple and yet thoroughly eflicient valve for use in connection with flush tanks, and one which will prove positive and'effective in operation. The strength or type of spring 35 which is employed for firmly binding the valve upon the seat may be varied if desired.

WVhile the present is a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as various changes in the minor details of construction, proportion, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to if desired without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a flush valve, a threaded sleeve having its upper end beveled upwardly to form a valve seat, a cage comprising a threaded portion to embrace the threaded portion of the sleeve, parallel guide bars and aring portion, a tube movable in the ring portion, a valve member comprising a sleeve to embrace the lower end of the tubular member, an annular enlargement formed on the valve member having its ends beveled inwardly whereby either beveled end may be rested upon the valve seat by reversing the valve member, the guide bars engaging the annular enlargement to guide the valve member to the seat, and a coiled spring embracing the tubular member and engaging the ring portion and the valve member to retain the latter seated. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W FOSTER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE MAYER, JOHN E. BURCH. 

